Prosperity Policy: Better to pay now

This year began with high hopes for strong reform proposals that came out of Gov. Mary Fallin’s Justice Reform Task Force. Our prison population – already among the largest in the country – will grow by another 25 percent in the next 10 years without bold action, at a cost of nearly $2 billion to taxpayers. The task force offered 27 recommendations to avoid this growth while protecting public safety.

Unfortunately, many of their proposals have been severely weakened in recent weeks by legislators unwilling to pay for the initial cost of reforms. Lawmakers should be more concerned about the looming costs of inaction. Passing the task force reforms now is critical to saving Oklahoma’s finances in the future.

Many of the task force’s reforms will require investments to upgrade information technology systems, hire and train more personnel, and expand services. The Department of Corrections would need nearly $16 million to implement the full package of reforms. About half of that would go to rehabilitative services both inside and outside prisons.

Those investments are difficult to make when the state is in another deep budget hole, but studies consistently show that every dollar spent on drug treatment saves several dollars in reduced crime. Businesses have to spend money to make money later; the state, too, must spend some money on services now to save much more on prisons later.

Lawmakers’ ill-considered approach can be clearly seen with Senate Bill 689, a bill that would allow people with court debt to set payment plans of no more than 10 percent of their discretionary income and waive some charges if they enroll in higher education or workforce development program. These provisions were stripped from the bill after one legislator argued they would reduce funds for services like the Victims Compensation Program.

These claims of lost revenue are wildly inflated. We’re already collecting only a small percentage of fees, because most defendants simply don’t have the money to pay. In reality, by ensuring that payment plans are set at a level that encourages compliance, SB 689 is more likely to boost revenues.

Being fiscally responsible means passing the smart criminal justice reforms that came from the task force, not the watered-down versions they’ve become. Lawmakers can restore these bills in conference committee; Oklahomans should speak out and demand that they do.